~ Culinary Adventures In & Out of the Kitchen. Recipes, Reviews, Culinary Musings.

Category Archives: whole30

Soup is a staple in my kitchen throughout the year. During the fall and winter months, I gravitate toward creamy, hearty, bright bowls. I hope you’re going to love this carrot soup with coconut milk. As delicious as the soup is, the topping is equally as good. If you’ve never tried za’atar spice blend, you’re in a for a treat.

This is a recipe I developed during the second round of Whole30, so you know it’s gluten-free, dairy-free, and has no sugar or dairy. You won’t miss any of those though – it’s seriously delicious. I shared bowls of soup with my Whole30 tribe during our dinner potluck.

Coconut Carrot Soup with Za’atar Hazelnuts

Ingredients:

Soup:

2 teaspoon olive oil

1 large sweet onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves

2 pounds of carrots, peeled and chopped

4 cups of water

1 can of coconut cream

salt to taste

Za’atar Hazelnuts:

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/2 cup raw hazelnuts

1 tablespoon za’atar

pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook for 5-7 minutes.

2. Add carrots and cook for another 5 minutes. Add water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover the pot, and continue to cook until carrots are completely soft, about 15 minutes.

3. Puree the soup, in batches if necessary, until completely smooth. Return the soup to the pot, stir in coconut milk and cook over low heat until heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt.

4. Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Add nuts and za’atar and cook until the nuts are toasted, 5-7 minutes.

Like this:

A few days ago I had a large plate of blasted broccoli at one of Seattle’s restaurants. I couldn’t stop myself from eating the charred, salty, and slightly spicy florets. And so, I decided to recreate the dish adding my own twist of sesame oil, garlic, and ginger. Plus, I mixed in a bunch of cauliflower florets. Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did.

4. Transfer back to the baking sheet and roast for additional 5-8 minutes.

These are best when they are still hot, right out of the oven. If you do have leftovers, chop them up into salads or add into your morning omelets. And truth be told, I have snacked on some of them straight out of the fridge.

Want to share?

Like this:

Here is a refreshing, sugar-free beverage to help you celebrate the last few days of summer. Made with watermelon, mint, and lime juice, this delightful pink drink is perfect on its own, but can be jazzed up with a shot of rum and sparkling water.

Want to share?

Like this:

Sweet, savory, and fruity, this chicken salad has a little bit of everything. Try the salad over mixed greens, serve it with cucumber slices, or try it stuffed into a tomato or avocado. This makes a big batch, perfect to have on hand for leftovers and packed lunches.

Want to share?

Like this:

This recipe is a happy accident. I started out wanting to make mayonnaise, just to find out I only had extra virgin olive oil on hand. And as some of you might have discovered for yourself, mayonnaise made out of extra virgin olive oil does not taste right.

The truth is, the oil adds too much flavor. Not wanting to waste a batch of homemade mayonnaise, I added a pinch of ground cayenne pepper, an extra squeeze of lemon juice, and garlic. Voila! A happy accident turned into this versatile spread and dip.

1. Add all ingredients to a cup of the immersion stick blender. Place the head of the blender at the bottom of the cup. Turn the stick blender on, and move it slowly up, while blending the ingredients. Once incorporated, taste and adjust the seasonings to your liking.

Now for the best part – trying to figure out what to do with this batch of aioli. Use it any place you’d add mayonnaise – sandwiches, salads, dips for vegetables of fries. Go wild!

Like this:

The summer in Seattle has been especially hot lately, and this spicy tomato gazpacho with poached shrimp is exactly what you want to be eating. Cool, refreshing, requiring hardly any cooking, this vibrant meal will also take care of your abundance of garden tomatoes and herbs.

1. Add all of the gazpacho ingredients to a blender or food processor and puree until desired consistency. Adjust with salt, as needed.

2. For the shrimp, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add bay leaves and reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the shrimp and set the timer for 3 minutes. Remove the shrimp immediately and peel. Serve right away on top of gazpacho with avocado, basil, and a drizzle of olive oil.

Just in time for my second round of whole30, sweet potato toast is sweeping the nation. Truth be told, I’ve been enjoying this culinary delight way ahead of its time in the headlines, but its sudden 5 minutes of fame (or will it be 15?) reminded me that I haven’t made it in some time. And so here it is, my version of the sweet potato toast.

Let’s be honest. If you expect it to taste like toast, you’d be greatly disappointed. Because really, it doesn’t taste like toast. What it does taste is a perfectly balanced vegetarian breakfast or lunch entree that’s a bit sweet, savory, and stunningly beautiful.

Like this:

On August 1st (tomorrow!), I’m starting my second round of whole30. My first one was in December, about a year and a half ago. I made it through, but didn’t experience the promised euphoria and the non-scale victories promised by the program and experienced first-hand by many of its participants.

This time around, I’m armed with more time, experience, and most importantly, support of many friends who are joining me on this journey.

To keep things quick, simple, and easy, without too much shock to your system, here’s a whole30 compliant recipe for tuna salad. Enjoy!